Sole flexing and tempering machine.



G. BASLER.

SOLE FLEXING AND TEMPERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 12. m3.

1 1 54,96 1 Patented Sept; 28, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO.,WA5H!NGTON. Dfc.

Lynn, county' of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Sole directly to and through the le'a ther.

,n DYsTAIE I N GEORGE BASLER,10FLYNNQMASSACHTLTSETTS,'ASSIGNOR T0 BASLER, MACHINERY CoM-P NYm-F NN,nassncnusncr'rs, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

SOIJE rmxine nun TEMPERING MACHINE.

iaeaeci. f j

To all w/wmt't may concern:

zen of the UnitedStatea'and residentfiof Flexing and Temperin'g Machines, of vvhich the following description,'in connection with the accompanying drawings i'sa specificar tion', like letters on the drawings representing'hke parts. I

My present invention is a machine to apply tempering liquid to leather-soles and to render such soles flexible, beingan improvement upon the general 'type ofm achinesshown in my Patent, No. 1,036,061, dated August 20, 1912, and more particularly as an improvement on the machine of "copending" application, Serial No. 714, 549 filed August 12, 1912.- In machines of this type,

it is desirable to render leather soles flexible by applying a suitable moistening solution or liquid thereto, and "to bend or fiex' the sole either immediately thereafter as part of the same operation, or-simultaneously therewith, this process-being claimed broadly in my Patent'No. 1,062,947, dated May 27, 1913.

In the development of my inventions above mentioned, 'Ihave discovered that itis possible to secure greatly increased speed' of operation in a machine of the typebf said copending applica'tionby applying the moistening liquid or solutionto 'th-e leather by means of rolls or the like Which would feed the'liquid tothe sole andwould forcibly apply or compress the liquid into the -pores of the leather, thus positively initiating F the permeation of the leather by the moistening solution. Heretofore it has been customary to apply the moistening solution by feeding the leather across a Inoistening station or through a shallow tank filled with "liquid, but this method Was not capable of a high speed of operation and therefore the maxi mum output for Which the flexing machine- Was otherwise capable,'wasimpossible; Furthermore'l have discovered that by fl'exing the sole considerable at the'moisten'ingapplying station, the pores ofthe leather are more opened and the permeation of the leather by the moistening solution is greatly facilitated, especially when the applicationof such fluid is made by rollsof felt or the like feeding and compressing the solution 'spec i fi cation ofietters Patent.

Patented Sept..,28,'1915.

, Application file'dSelitem ber 12, 191 3. Serial No. 789,455.

plates the PIOVlSlOH 'Of means to feed the erable pressure. The sole may be thus mois- H Ycordingly' my present apparatus contem-' Be it knownthat I,'GnonGnBAsLnR, a ci-ti- I I leather solesaround'a curveof short radius, 9

tened With great rapidity and the sole is then, lpreferably, fed to a further flexing de- I vice to bend the same backwardly and for- WitICllY and complete the operation as described inlny patents above mentioned; As 7 the subsequent bending of the sole does not constitute a part of thepresent improvement, I'have not illustrated the same, but it Will be readily understood that the present apparatus may besubstituted for the tem- Jpermg. station in them'achineof my said 00* pendingapplication. I have therefore illustrated in the drawings simply the feedin'gin end of the machine with the moistening applying apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a Plfli'fidfllbOdlHlSIlt ofmy invention, Figure 1 is a view p'artly in cross'section of the "feeding-in end of the "type -of solefiexing and moistening machine which I have de --V1SBCl' as abovementioned; F ig. 2 is a detail view of the valve controlling the fluid-supply to the tank and rolls constituting the applyingpart of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1,; and-Fig. e isa sideview,partly in section of the valve control. 7 I

lVhile I prefer to incorporate the apparatus herein illustrated as a part of the flexible machine, of-my said co-pending ap- .plication, yetit'will be understood that the apparatus may be employed separately, if j'deslred, as a moistening and flexing appa- Iratus. A suitable framework, comprising tvvoside members, 1, united toa base plate- 2 is provided With journal bearings for the 'ieed rollsii and 4. Adjacent these feed rolls are slo'ts'ineach side frame, as indicated at .5 andfi'respectively, Fig. 1, each slot having guide Ways 7, on which journal boxes 8 and 9 respectively are mounted to slide, these journalboxes carrying bearings for the mov able deed-rolls -10 and 11 respectively. The forward feed roll 10 is preferably corru-- Pgated or roughened so as to -positively grip and feed'in sole as it is fed into the {machine f-rom the left, viewing Figs. "1, 2, and 3, and this roll is held yieldinglydo'v'vnward toward its cooperating roll '3 by coiled springs 12 bearing against the journal box 8 and against a cap 13 fitted over the slots in each side framel, one such spring and cap being illustrated in Fig. 1. A spring 14 is similarly arranged to bear on the sliding journal box 9 carrying the roll 11, this construction permitting the machine to handle different sized soles automatically and under spring tension, in a mannersimi'r lar to that illustrated in the device of my said-copendingapplication. Aftixed to the sides 1 and extending from one to the other is a tank 15 of considerable depth, having ends 16 and 17 and flaring side walls 18 and.

19. A roll20 is fitted in suitable journal bearings within the ends 16 and 17 of the tank 15, so as to be freely rotated therein,

said roll having a gear'wheel 21 secured to one end, and the core of sald roll .belngpreferablywrapped with felt 22 or. some equ va-,

lent absorbent material. Directly above the roll 20 is a similar felt roll 23, having thereon a gear-wheel 24 adapted to mesh with the gear wheel 21 on the roll 20 within the tank 15, .the axle 25 thereof extending beyond the ends 16 and 17 of the tank and through suitable bearings arranged to slide on guides 27 in a slot 28 in ,asimilar manner tothat already described as'to the boxes 8 and 9,

.. one suchbox being illustrated in Fig, 3.

A11 outer end of the axle .25 carries a gear wheel 29, from which the trolls 23 and 20 maybe rotated. and 4 are all actuated by a common source 10f power, such as a sprocket chain, belt or the like, as illustrated in the machine of my said copending application, or in any other suitable manner. Springs 30 bearingagainst the journal boxes 26 act to hold the felt- I roll 23 yieldingly in contactwith the felt roll 22, as a sole is fed between the same, the upper roll yielding and affording the desired tension to compress the liquid applied by the rolls" to the sole.

L. I prefer to arrange the liquid applying rolls at a'position relatively with the feed rolls 3,.and' 10, and 4 and 11,.so that the sole as it is fed through the series of rolls will be substantially flexed as it passes between -the liquid applying rolls 22 and 23, so that the solution applied to the convex sideof such sole by the lower roll 22 will effect a sub:

stantiallyforcible application or simultaneously applying and compressing the solution directly into the stretched and concaved side of the sole to thereby initiate a permeation of the sole by the liquid; this construction insures the positive application of a suitable and sufficient amount of the moistening liquid to the sole, irrespective of the speed with which the soles may be fed by the moistening devices, thus permitting a maximum feeding capacity and greatly accelerating the output of the machine.

I provide a suitable automatic control for Preferably the rolls 3, 23,,

the supply of liquid to the tank 15,";permitting just the right amount of the moistening solution to'fiow into the tank 15 for each sole fed therethrough and thus maintaining a proper supplyat all times, irrespective of the number of; soles being operated upon and at the same time conserving the supply of liquid. To this end I arrange a valve 31 which may be conveniently threaded into an aperture provided therefor in a lug or. boss valve member 33. is normally held infclosed position by a spring ,34 bearing between a. bracket 35. and a pin on the rod 46, as will be explained, (see Fig. 1).

Secured tothe valve member 33 is a stem 36 which isnormally-held, (by the spring 34) projecting beyondthe valve 31 and into the tank 15,

as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. In order to have this valve operated by each sole, as the sole is fed through the apparatus, I have hinged a plate 37-to the end of the side 18 .of the tank 15 by hinge rings or members '32 on the flaring side 18 of the tank. I The 38, which plate is adapted to rest upon the projecting portion of thevalve stem'36, and. be normally held in a position so closelyadjacent-the roll that asole as it is fed through the machine will "necessarily force the plate I 37 downwardly, thus moving the valve member 33 against the tension of the spring 34 and opening the valve to admit a flow of tempering solution into the tank 15, suflicient in quantity to replenish the supply in I said tank asa'sole is fed through. The

plate 37 will be held depressed and the valve consequently opened. during the feeding through of a sole, to a proper extent to' replenish the supply, irrespective of the size of the sole, as a longer sole will hold the valve openduring a longer period than a shorter sole, and vice versa. Aflixed to the valve 31 is a supply pipe 39, leading to any,

The height of.

suitable source of supply. liquid in the tank 15 may be regulated by an outlet 40 arrangedat any suitable position, preferably as shown in Fig. 2 at about the height of the felt roll 22, so that said roll is always immersed within the liquid and will be thoroughly saturated therewith to apply the same to the soles fed between the felt valve 31, said bracket carrying a pin 42 on which a lever 43 is pivotally mounted, this lever having one end-44 forked and engaging the projecting end of the valve stem 36, which valve stem is provided with lugs 47 and 48 to rock the valve 43 as the plate 37 is depressed and the valve stem 36 reciprocated. To the. outer arm 45 of the lever 43.

I pivot a rod 46 to actuate an indicator and around this rod e6 I arrange the spring 34,

the bracket 35 also acting asa guide for the in my copending application, toward the felt I rolls 22 and 23, deflecting the plate 37 in its progressive movement and openingthe valve 31 to admit a supply of tempering solution into the tank 15. Continuous feeding action of the cooperating rolls .3 and 10 and the solution applying rolls 22 and 23 feed the soles farther against the flaringside 19 of the tank and upwardly to the rolls 4 and 11' which further grip and feed the same, adding to the compressing effect of themoistening liquid andiremoving any surplus liquid therefrom which will fall back into the pan 4:8 in the bottom of the machine, which .pan

also receives any overflow from-the outlet l0; During the progressive movement of the sole from the entrance rolls 3 and 10 to the rolls a and 11, which are preferably a much less distance apart than the length of the soles fed through the machine, the sole is flexed about the roll 23 and the convex side receives the forcible liquid applying action of the lower roll 22, While the pores of the leather are being opened on said convex surface, the springs 30 affording the desired degree of tension or compression with which the liquid is thus forcibly applied. In feeding through soles, even with great rapidity they will each receive a uniform application of moistening solution and the solution will be equally forced into the pores of the leather while each sole is convexed to the same extent, thus insuring a similarity in the work done by my present machine. After the soles pass through the rolls 4 and 11 they may be further bent and flexed between double belts passing around rolls of short radius, as shown and described in my patents above mentioned. l/Vhile I have described and illustrated my present machine as intended primarily for operation upon soles, yet it will of course be understood that leather or similar stock which it is desirable to treat may be run through the machine for a similar purpose. My invention therefore is not limited merely to operating upon soles, but in its broader aspects may be utilized for operating on many articles.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.'In a machine of the class described, means to feed a sole through the machine, means to flex the sole during such feeding, and means to apply moistening liquid positively and forcibly to the conveXed portion of the sole duringsuch feeding action, in combination with means actuated by the sole fed therethrough to control automatically the. supply of tempering fluid.

2. In a machine of the class described, means to feed a sole through the machine, means to flex the sole during such feeding, and means to apply moistening liquid positively to the convexed portion of the sole during such feeding action, said feeding and applying means comprising a felt roll in contact with the converted portion of the sole during said feeding and flexing, in combination with a swinging plate actuated by the sole to control the supply of tempering fluid proportionately to the length of each sole so fed.

'3. In a machine of the class described, a liquid supply, means to feed leather soles therethrough, means to open progressively the pores of said leather while being fed through said liquid supply, means to apply forcibly the liquid by a felt roll to the sole at that point where the pores are stretched open, and a swinging plate to normally keep the liquid supply closed, over which plate soles are fed to the machine temporarily displacing the plate from its normal closing position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BASLER.

Witnesses:

RALPH E. SMITH, ABBm F. TWOMEY.

Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. r 

